Sat May 17 12:22:42 UTC 2025: Here’s a summary and rewrite of the provided text as a news article:

**Summary:**

Following scathing criticism from U.S. President Donald Trump during his Middle East tour, Iranian leaders have launched a fierce counter-attack, accusing Trump of hypocrisy and deceit. Trump had accused Tehran’s leadership of corruption and mismanagement, pointing to economic woes and regional instability. Iranian leaders responded by denouncing Trump’s support for Israel’s actions in Gaza and questioning his commitment to peace. They reaffirmed Iran’s right to enrich uranium and accused the US of hindering progress towards a nuclear deal.

**News Article:**

**Iran Rebukes Trump’s “Deceptive” Attacks, Defends Nuclear Program**

**Tehran, Iran** – Iranian political and military leaders have responded with fury to U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent broadside, accusing him of hypocrisy and deception. Trump, during a tour of the Middle East, had accused Iran’s leadership of corruption, mismanagement, and promoting regional instability.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei dismissed Trump’s comments as “a disgrace” to the American nation. He accused the U.S. of backing the “massacring” of Palestinians and labeled Israel a “dangerous cancerous tumor.” President Masoud Pezeshkian echoed these sentiments, questioning Trump’s commitment to peace while simultaneously supporting Israel’s actions in Gaza and sanctioning the International Criminal Court (ICC).

The backlash comes after Trump criticized Iran’s economic performance, citing power outages and a failing infrastructure, while praising Arab leaders. He also condemned Iran’s support for the Syrian government, calling it a cause of “misery and death.”

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi countered that the U.S. was the one hampering Iran through sanctions and military threats. Other officials criticized Trump’s “delusional” worldview and defended Iran’s cultural and Islamic identity.

The renewed tensions also extend to the ongoing negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program. While both countries have expressed a desire to de-escalate tensions, Araghchi denied the existence of a concrete proposal for a deal. He reaffirmed Iran’s “hard-earned right to enrichment for peaceful purposes” and Kazem Gharibabadi, a senior nuclear negotiator, rejected reports Iran may agree to halt uranium enrichment during Trump’s presidency.

The heated rhetoric comes amidst other points of contention, including a potential renaming of the “Persian Gulf,” which has sparked widespread anger in Iran. The exchange highlights the deep distrust and significant obstacles remaining in the path towards a potential nuclear agreement.

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